HOW WE RAISE OUR PUPS
FAMILY RAISED
All of our dogs are raised in our home. Our dogs are loved and spoiled members of our family!
At Pickerel Pups, we do what we can to help our litters grow and develop to be the best dog of their ability. We weigh puppies daily, and on days 3-16 of life we start introducing neurological stimulation. ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) is when we take the puppies through a series of exercises which will help the puppy’s rapid neurological growth and development.
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We also introduce our puppies to a variety of scents (ESI or Early Scent Introduction) starting on day 3 of life which is a training program for puppies that enhances their ability to identify, and react to, specific scents.
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Our puppies are raised in a designated puppy area that is cleaned and sanitized at least 2 times a day. Cleaning solutions used are safe for new puppies to be around. We believe a clean environment is key for having healthy growing puppies.
HEALTH TESTING
Temperment and health is our highest priority. Before a dog joins our breeding program they go through different tests important to their breed. Such as, temperament, genetics, OFA and/or PennHIP. Health testing is so important to produce the best offspring possible and eliminate health issues.
EMPOWERED BREEDER
Pickerel Pups has practices to ensure our puppies are off to a great start and are ready to adapt to new situations they will encounter with their forever families.
We raise our puppies the Badass Breeder way, which focuses on building the foundation for therapy and service dog training as well as a lifelong loyal companion. This curriculum starts your dog on the right foot from the day they are born.
ENS/ESI
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) is a training program that introduces mild stimulations to very young puppies (days 3-16) in a controlled way. This curriculum helps encourage neurological growth, which improves the development of the pup’s immune system, cardiovascular system, and stress tolerance. You can learn more about ENS here.
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Early Scent Introduction (ESI) is a training program for puppies designed to enhance their ability to identify, and react to, specific scents. Starting at day 3-16, we introduce a strong scent to the puppy for brief intervals, and record the puppy’s reaction. ESI has several benefits—improved confidence and stability, greater nose awareness, and more adaptive to change.